Grizz lose to Portland
I was able to watch the Grizzlies (pitiful) loss to Portland.
They didn't look like a team, though Stoudemire, Atkins, Gay, and sometimes Miller made some nice contributions.
The chief reason for the loss was Mike Fratello.
Fratello's substitutions give the impression that he's watching a stop watch rather than the game. I'm not sure what Jake and E Jones have done in practice to make Fratello think that they deserve 1 minute of playing time, but they certainly don't demonstrate any effectiveness on the court. (It's not like there aren't other players from which to choose.)
Yes Jake is a big body. Yes the Grizz we getting out-rebounded and out bodied badly. But Jake had nothing to offer. He couldn't guard Randolph or Magloire. He couldn't rebound, and he was a huge offensive liability.
I don't remember watching Eddie Jones do anything except throw the ball in.
Stromile Swift also continues to get outplayed and outmanned by bad players.
Why won't Fratello leave Warrick, Gay, Stoudemire, and Atkins in the game?
Please don't take them out for Eddie Jones or Jake. At all.
2 comments:
I agree...play the youth!!!
I actually remember reading an article on ESPN.com which highlighted this particular issue.
The article was referring to why Mike Fratello will probably be fired before the All-Star break. Among the many reasons the article listed, one was based on Fratello's decision to play the "veterans" over the "rookies". The article mentioned that Jerry West had urged Fratello to play Gay, Lowry, and Johnson more. The author of the atricle said that Fratello's refusal hinted at the fact that he didn't want to be in Memphis anymore and that he should be fired. If you purposely disobey your boss's instructions, that's grounds for dismissal regardless of the situation.
My thoughts...
While I am always an advocate of playing experience over youth, I completely agree with West in this case. It would be a completely different situation if our "veterans" were all-stars. Before Pau came back, we did not have one veteran all-star on that team and really no one stepped it up an proved they could be a consistent performer every night. While Lowry and Johnson may never become all-stars (although I love their potential), Gay is undoubtedbly the future of this organization (why else would West have traded Battier (still one of my favorite NBA players) for Gay). Ever since Jerry West arrived in Memphis, Grizzlies fans have been wondering where our "Kobe Bryant" is. Well, newsflash...HE'S HERE, and he's just not playing enough in my opinion. I guess at this point, we've already accepted the fact that the Grizz will most likely not make the playoffs, so why not let Rudy Gay get the experience he needs to be the effective face of the franchise next season.
Also, while I am thinking of it kudos to Fratello for recently plugging Johnson into the starting lineup. I think that is actually one of Fratello's more brilliant moves of the season. He complements Pau very nicely. We all know Pau is not the most physical presence, and while Johnson is a bit undersized, he shows relentless hussle in his "NO FEAR" attitude. Now, if we can Lowry back, wouldn't that be nice.
One more thing relating to youth and the future of the Grizz...
Here's a little something Grizz fans could get excited for. A potential starting lineup next season...
PG - Kyle Lowry
SG - Rudy Gay
SF - Mike Miller/Hakim Warrick
PF - Pau Gasol
C - Greg Oden
Wouldn't that be something
I agree that Gay shows a lot of potential. I'm particularly impressed with how his athleticism has translated on the defensive end.
He definitely needs to work on his shot, and I'd like to see him demonstrate that he can create points like great players. So far, I've mostly seen only long jumpers, fast break points, and open looks created by the Grizzlies' set offense. I want to see him get to the basket on his own.
Also, I'm not ready to say Lowry is a starting point guard. (Damon and Chucky aren't great options either.) That said, I'm not ready to say he isn't the answer either.
Check out my proposed starting 5 here:
http://davidlovesthegrizzlies.blogspot.com/2006/11/warrick-leads-team-to-victory.html
Looks almost exactly like yours.
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